Global warming and climate change are closely correlated with carbon dioxide emissions from human activities. Flue gas emissions from power plants are especially implicated. Carbon dioxide capture promises to reduce power plant carbon dioxide emissions. However, techniques that reduce the capital and operational costs of conventional flue gas capture are needed.
For example, conventional capture technologies, including monoethanolamine (MEA) and Benfield, increase costs to a power plant by approximately 30%. Moreover, due to their low carbon dioxide capture efficiency and capacity, mass transfer limitations, energy requirements, and high upfront infrastructure investment, none of the technologies have been widely adopted.